Shoot. I was hungry this morning. Since the day was relatively short, only 12 miles we slept in until 6:00 with a projected out the door time of 7:00. I was awake early, lying in bed thinking about breakfast. It was provided this morning. Last night the host described meats, cheeses, breads, fruits, etc. made me hungry thinking about it.
Becky didn’t move when Sally and I got up so I assumed she was asleep while we quietly grabbed our stuff and slipped out of the room. Downstairs in the kitchen the breakfast was not what my imagination had conjured up. Two baguettes, some thin sliced meat, single serving jams, orange juice and many individually wrapped cakes and muffins, the equivalent of twinkies-all fat, sugar and no substance. Still, I was hungry. I devoured three pieces of bread with jam and meat and three or four “twinkies”. I was surprised to see Becky come down about 6;45am. I thought she was still asleep.
Sally and I were out the door a little before 7:00. Becky was brewing her morning coffee.
The first town was about 6.5 miles up the road. The wind was fresh and it was cold, but no rain was in the forecast.
A steady stream of people passed us as we “sauntered toward Santiago”. It is hard to imagine how many people are here. About 400 start each day. Sally and I start each morning early and by noon well over 150 have passed us. There is always a dozen people visible in front and a dozen or more visible behind. Relieving oneself along the route is nearly impossible, especially in these open plains with fields of grain-there is no cover such as trees to hide in. Quick timing when there is a break in the crowds, a bend in the trail or a slight rise is the only distraction. For us old dudes with teeny bladders it can be a problem.
We made Hontanes by 10:00ish and stopped for a Coke and Tortilla de Patata. We were inside eating, avoiding the wind. We think Becky passed us as we ate.
The sun came out as we left town and we followed the idellic drainage slightly downhill. A farmer was raking his hay with his huge tractor and circular rake.
We came to the unique ruins of St. Anton’s, an imposing set of castle walls freestanding 60 or 70 feet tall, complete with arched windows and carvings yet not enough structure to really see the outlines of the castle. Part of the ruin has been roofed and turned into an albergue. An open courtyard of sorts dotted with picnic tables between the walls provides a nice enclosed place to stop, which we did. While munching on some bread one of the pilgrims pulled out a penny whistle and played a lilting tune that absolutely fit the vibe of the place. Made me smile.
We finished the last two miles into Castrojarez on a new path plowed into existence since we were here four years ago. Last time we had to walk on the road. Our albergue, the Rosalie, was the same one we stayed at last time.
After checking in and getting our bed assignments, us three in a room with five beds, we wandered up to the town square to find groceries and check out the outdoor store we found last year. The store was still there, although closed for mid day. Sally offered to buy Soma a beer and we sat on the plaza for 45 minutes. Tom and Nicki arrived having climbed the mountain to visit the hilltop castle and joined us. Our quest for a grocery store was partially filled by a hole in the wall grocery on the plaza, but they did not have all we desired. A more mainstream store was below town. We navigated to the store and found what we needed. We wanted to cook dinner, but we were required to be out of the kitchen by 4:00 so they could cook the Perigrino dinner. We were not going to make that time requirement. We looked for something ready to eat at the grocery, but came up dry. We decided to search out a restaurant and found one on google maps that was open, but when we got to it, it was dark and looked closed. After searching around the margins of the building Sally approached the large plate glass window to peer inside and it slid open revealing a cute little restaurant that serves a Perigrino meal. The owner/ waitress was very kind and cheery and the pollo was good. Sally and i split a meal.
Becky headed back to the albergue. Sally and I went to the church but it was locked. We headed back to the plaza to check out the hiking shop, but I stopped for a coat at the albergue on the way as I was freezing. The shop was still run by the same old man as four years ago, only four years older. We bought a couple postcards. Didn’t need anything else.
Our sole roommate, a elderly Japanese man moaned and wheezed as he prepared for bed to the point Becky asked him if he was okay. He indicated he was, slid under his covers with his ear plugs in and his eye covering on and was snoring extremely loudly within 30 seconds. Luckily, it turned out to be intermittent snoring so we were able to get to sleep between sessions. Another great day in a string of great days.
En route early morning
Look closely for the windmills in the distance
On the mesata
Wheat and windmills
Poppies as a crop
Dropping into Hontanares
Café right on route (as always)
They are so beautiful I can’t stop taking photos of them
Idyllic valley the trail passes through
St. Anton castle ruin. Notice how highway goes right through castle arch
More of the castle
Video of St. Antòn castle
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